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Severance Hospital and Yonsei University Health System are commemorating the 140th anniversary of Jejungwon, Korea’s first modern medical institution, with a scholarly symposium and the publication of a commemorative book tracing the legacy of Christian medical missions in Korea.
Severance Hospital is celebrating the 140th anniversary of Jejungwon, Korea’s first modern hospital, with a symposium and commemorative book highlighting the legacy of Christian medical missions. (Credit: Severance Hospital)
Severance Hospital is celebrating the 140th anniversary of Jejungwon, Korea’s first modern hospital, with a symposium and commemorative book highlighting the legacy of Christian medical missions. (Credit: Severance Hospital)
Jejungwon, originally established in 1885 as Gwanghyewon, laid the foundation for Western-style medicine in Korea and evolved into what is now Yonsei University College of Medicine and Severance Hospital. To mark this milestone, Yonsei is reflecting on the origins of modern medicine in Korea and reaffirming its mission of service and compassion.
The academic symposium, titled “Jejungwon and 140 Years of Christian Medical Mission in Korea,” will take place on April 8. The event will explore the history and impact of missionary hospitals and medical missionaries who played a pivotal role in introducing Western medicine to Korea.
The symposium will be held in three sessions.
In the first session, chaired by Professor Emeritus Min Sung-kil, Professor Yeo In-sok of Yonsei University College of Medicine will deliver a keynote lecture on the origin and development of Christian medical practice in Korea.
This will be followed by presentations covering the activities of Severance graduates at mission hospitals, the medical and evangelical mission work in the Wonju region through Swedish Methodist Hospital, and a study on the spatial use of Busan Leper Hospital during the Japanese occupation.
In the second session, chaired by Professor Kim Se-heon, speakers will discuss the medical mission of the Australian Presbyterian Church in South Gyeongsang Province and Paton Memorial Hospital, the role of Dongsan Christian Hospital in medical missions in Daegu, and the Christian medical activities centered around the French Memorial Hospital in Mokpo.
The third and final session, chaired by Professor Park Yoon-jae of Kyung Hee University, will feature a comparative study of medical mission strategies by the U.S. Southern Presbyterian Church in Gunsan and Suncheon, a presentation on the Pyongyang Union Christian Hospital and its connections with the Korean Protestant network under Japanese rule, and a case study on Jechang Hospital in Yongjeong Village.
The symposium will conclude with a general discussion by Professor Nam Sung-hyun of Seoul Hanyoung University, reflecting on the significance of 140 years of Christian medicine in Korea.
To commemorate the occasion, Yonsei University College of Medicine will also release a new book titled “Shared Journey, Path of Healing.”
The publication captures the history of Jejungwon and 39 mission hospitals across Korea through historical photographs and archival material. The book documents the efforts of seven missionary organizations, including the American Northern Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, which established medical institutions across the Korean Peninsula during times of political and social hardship.
The book highlights how missionary doctors cared for marginalized patients, including those with leprosy and tuberculosis, showcasing the role of Christian medicine in Korea’s modernization.
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